Spinning top with helical actuator



1967 P. J. TRITSCHLER ET AL 3,304,648

SPINNING TOP WITH HELICAL ACTUATOR Filed May 19, 1964 United States Patent 3,304,648 SPINNING TOP WITH HELHCAL ACTUATOR Paul J. Tritschler, 5165 Fishburg Road, Dayton, Ohio 45424, and Edward G. Tritschler, 25% Indiana Ave, Dayton, Ohio 45410 Filed May 19, 1964, Ser. No. 368,489 2 Claims. (CI. 46-68) This invention relates to spinning tops. More particularly, this invention relates to a construction for a spinning top and a helical actuator therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide a top having a ground engaging end portion of a shape for ready engagement with a sleeve member which can be mounted on the helical actuator for driving the top along the actuator to initiate spinning thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a top of this type having a spherical end portion on which the top spins and which is provided with a slot located away from the axis thereof for receiving the actuator rod together with an actuator sleeve having a complementary top engaging surface which smoothly engages the top as the top is advanced along the helical actuator.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description, and the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a top constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, the top being shown mounted on a helical actuator with a driving sleeve in position thereon, the sleeve being shown in section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the top and the sleeve in cross section, a fragmentary portion of the actuator rod being shown in association therewith;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the top; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in transverse section showing a lower portion of the top in association with an upper portion of the driving sleeve.

In the following detailed description and the drawing, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In the drawing is shown a top constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. The top 10 is shown mounted on a helical driving rod or actuator 12 (FIGS. 1 and 2) having a handle portion 13 at the lower end thereof. A driving sleeve 14 is mounted on the actuator 12 below the top 10. The top 10 is driven by advancing the driving sleeve 14 upwardly along the actuator 12 to cause the top It] to spin or by drawing the actuator 12 downwardly while the driving sleeve 14 is held in position.

Details of construction of the top end of the driving sleeve are shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the top includes a body 16 having an axial bore 17 therealong. An upper guide or ferrule 18 is mounted at an upper end of the bore 17. The ferrule 18 includes a cylindrical body 19 which fits inside the bore and an outwardly extending annular flange 21 which rests on an upper end of the body 16. At the lower end of the bore 17 is mounted a nose piece 22. Details of construction of the nose piece 22 are shown most clearly in FIG. 4. The

nose piece 22 has a lower end face 23 of spherical shape on which the top spins. A well 24 inside the nose piece 22 communicates wit-h the bore 17 of the body. The nose piece 22 is firmly positioned inside the bore 17 and frictionally held therein. A slot 25 is formed in the spherical surface 23 spaced from the axis of the top, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thus, the top spins on the spherical surface of the nose piece, and the slot 25 is spaced from the axis on which the top spins.

As shown in FIG. 4, the driving sleeve 14 is adapted to engage the nose piece 22 at the spherical face thereof, and the upper end of the sleeve 14 is cut away or beveled in a face 26 which engages the spherical face 23 of the nose piece 22 surrounding the slot 25 thereof and is complementary to the spherical face.

As the top 10 and the sleeve 14 advance along the helical actuator 12, the spherical tip of the nose piece 22 engages the complementary face 26 of the sleeve 14 throughout the driving stroke, and the top is readily spun to initiate rotation thereof.

The top and actuator construction illustrated in the drawing and described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a top including a body having an axial bore and a nose piece mounted in a lower end portion of said bore, said nose piece having a substantially spherical exposed face, there being a slot in said face spaced from the axis of the body, a helical actuator adapted to extend lengthwise of the bore through and in engagement with edges of the slot, and a hollow cylindrical driving sleeve surrounding the actuator, the driving sleeve having a face complementary to and engageable with the spherical face of the nose piece for driving the top along the actuator to initiate spinning of the top.

2. In combination, a top including a body having an axial bore and a nose piece mounted in a lower end portion of said bore, said nose piece having a substantially spherical exposed face, there being a slot in said face spaced from the axis of the body, a helical actuator adapted to extend lengthwise of the bore through and in engagement with edges of the slot, and a hollow cylindrical driving sleeve surrounding the actuator, the driving sleeve having an end face engageable with the spherical face of the nose piece for driving the top along the actuator to initiate spinning of the top.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,209,446 12/1916 John 4668 3,191,341 6/1965 Martin 4673 X FOREIGN PATENTS 599,359 3/1948 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A TOP INCLUDING A BODY HAVING AN AXIAL BORE AND A NOSE PIECE MOUNTED IN A LOWER END PORTION OF SAID BORE, SAID NOSE PIECE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL EXPOSED FACE, THERE BEING A SLOT IN SAID FACE SPACED FROM THE AXIS OF THE BODY, A HELICAL ACTUATOR ADAPTED TO EXTEND LENGTHWISE OF THE BORE THROUGH AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH EDGES OF THE SLOT, AND A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL DRIVING SLEEVE SURROUNDING THE ACTUATOR, THE DRIVING SLEEVE HAVING 